Processor Operator Injured Entering Cab

Location:

BC Southern Interior

Date of Incident / Close Call:

2007-11-01

Company Name:

Reitmeier Logging Ltd

Details of Incident / Close Call:

A processor operator was injured while pulling himself into the cab of the processor he was operating. The operator had finished changing the cutting chain on the processor, and as he was pulling himself up / into the cab of the machine, he experienced a “pop” in his left wrist and felt immediate pain in the wrist area.

The on site designated first aid attendant observed the injured area and recommended the worker get medical treatment – the worker was driven to Arrow Lakes hospital for further treatment.

The processor operator had undergone an operation involving his left wrist a few years prior to this incident. The operation was performed to reattach injured tendons.

The root cause of the injury may have been the predisposition of the left wrist that had previously been operated upon.The wrist may have been in a “weakened” state and could not support the force of the operator pulling himself into theoperator’s cab of the processor.

Learnings and Suggestions:

1. Equipment operators should not use their full weight to pull themselves into the operator’s cab of the equipment they are running. Operators should maintain their balance and not rely on force when entering the cabs of their equipment.2. Persons who may have weakened or previously injured body parts that may be vulnerable to stress should use extreme caution when maneuvering those parts.